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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. present — the time now
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cue — a signal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. present — a gift
  7. cue — a hint
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — employees
  11. prune — to trim
  12. staff — a stick
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — there
  18. bass — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a hat

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