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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 all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. firm — decided
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pop — music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pop — soda
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — in golf
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. swing — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — steady
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. rash — a series

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