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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ball — a dance
  3. prune — to trim
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a list
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chip — to eat
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. prune — the fruit

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