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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chest — a box
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pop — soda
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bulb — for light
  15. band — a ring
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — music
  24. band — a music group

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