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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bass — low music
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bass — the fish
  11. rash — hasty
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — in football
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. plane — a tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — the instrument

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