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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. march — music
  3. cap — of ice
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. present — a gift
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the sport
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. content — happy
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. present — there
  22. march — the month
  23. content — the amount
  24. present — the time now

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