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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — size or range
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pop — soda
  5. shower — rain
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. scale — in music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — steady
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pop — to visit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. firm — decided
  23. pop — music
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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