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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. plane — a tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chip — to eat
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tear — from crying

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