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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. bass — low music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pop — to visit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — soda
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — steady
  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