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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · arm · pop · roll · dip · plane · hide · sharp

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pop — music
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — soda
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to sink
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. roll — a cake
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. field — farmland
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — a list

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