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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bass — the fish
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rock — music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a hat
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lean — thin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — a stone

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