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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — a position
  6. pop — music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ground — the earth
  12. kick — in football
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — to visit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. row — a line
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. plane — a tool

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