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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bound — obliged
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mine — for digging
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bound — certain
  9. suit — to fit
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. shower — rain
  14. pit — a hole
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bass — the fish
  17. snap — to click
  18. bass — low music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. plane — a tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pit — in a race

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