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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — music
  7. swing — music
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — soda
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. file — a document
  14. bark — to shout
  15. toast — bread
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. swing — to play on
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pop — to visit

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