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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pop — to visit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. band — a ring
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rash — a series
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mug — a face
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — music
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pop — soda
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rash — hasty
  23. mug — to rob
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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