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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — a stone
  6. band — a music group
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — for catching
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. net — after costs
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — music
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. band — a ring

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