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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fall — the season
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. race — humankind
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mate — a friend
  9. fall — to drop
  10. game — a match
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wind — moving air
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. plane — a tool
  22. race — a contest
  23. mate — to breed
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com