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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — to go on
  13. land — a country
  14. last — final
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — employees
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. last — finally
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ruler — for measuring

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