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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bore — to drill
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — to tire
  12. rash — hasty
  13. file — a document
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — a position
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mine — for digging
  21. file — a tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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