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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pop — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cell — in biology

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