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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. row — a line
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stock — goods
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mate — a partner
  18. row — to paddle
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stock — shares
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rock — music

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