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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fine — all right
  4. ground — a position
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. fine — high quality
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fall — the season
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — of the year
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cold — not warm
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. season — in sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cold — an illness
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ground — crushed

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