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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pop — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. can — to be able to
  12. band — a ring
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pop — soda
  15. band — a music group
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. can — a tin
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — a tool
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chip — in a computer

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