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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. staff — employees
  3. stand — to bear
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. staff — employees
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — to point toward
  13. sharp — clever
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — soda
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. plane — a tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. ball — a dance
  24. plane — an aircraft

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