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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pop — soda
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. foot — a measure

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