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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 124 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. field — for sport
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — farmland
  8. drill — a practice
  9. last — finally
  10. field — a subject
  11. last — to go on
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — army training
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — final
  23. plane — a tool
  24. snap — to click

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