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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rock — music
  10. spring — the season
  11. plane — a tool
  12. capital — money
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a path
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. track — to keep track
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. game — a match

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