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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — steady
  14. mate — a friend
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. squash — the sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. firm — a company
  24. bulb — for light

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