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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. season — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — size or range
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. track — to keep track
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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