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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rest — a break
  3. rash — a series
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. plane — a tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pound — a weight
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. band — a music group
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. band — a ring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — hasty

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