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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. season — of the year
  4. plane — a tool
  5. row — a line
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — to paddle
  8. season — in sport
  9. land — to come down
  10. hand — help
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — ground
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. hand — in cards
  23. land — a country
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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