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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — in cards
  12. march — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hand — help
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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