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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a dance
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pop — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — soda
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. plane — a tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pop — to visit

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