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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rock — music
  7. object — to protest
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — a thing
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. game — a match
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. object — an aim
  24. rush — to hurry

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