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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — a short time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. track — a song
  16. spell — letters
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pop — soda
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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