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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — low music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. sharp — clever
  24. saw — the tool

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