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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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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. band — a music group
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — the time now
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. roll — a list
  9. band — a ring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. present — there
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fall — to drop
  24. present — a gift

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