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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. plane — a tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. ground — a position
  18. pop — to visit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rash — hasty
  21. fall — to drop
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fall — the season

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