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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kid — child
  3. last — to go on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rock — a stone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ball — a great time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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