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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — a container
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — in control
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — to visit
  11. last — final
  12. present — there
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pop — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. last — finally
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — a gift
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rock — a stone
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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