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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. row — a line
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — in control
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. sharp — clever
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. band — a music group
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. row — to paddle
  24. plane — in geometry

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