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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ball — a great time
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — a stone
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bear — the animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. race — the arms race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — a tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — a path
  24. race — humankind

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