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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — soda
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wound — an injury
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — in geometry

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