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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ground — a position
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — a tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fine — high quality

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