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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — the animal
  10. staff — employees
  11. mate — to breed
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ground — the earth
  18. squash — the sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. squash — to crush
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. staff — a stick

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