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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 124 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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — to get on
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kick — in football
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a ring
  12. pop — soda
  13. board — a committee
  14. pop — music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. plane — a tool
  21. march — music
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — to visit

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