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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ground — a position
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. hand — help
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — the season
  12. firm — decided
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mate — a partner
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. leaves — to go away

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