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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bass — low music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. spell — letters
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mug — a face
  11. spell — magic
  12. pass — a permit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spell — a short time
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mug — a cup

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