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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. face — part of the head
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — music
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mate — a partner
  10. face — to point toward
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — to confront
  19. pop — to visit
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. racket — a loud noise

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