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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. plane — a tool
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. land — ground
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. row — to paddle
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — in music
  18. land — a country
  19. cue — for pool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cue — a signal
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. land — to come down

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