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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — hasty
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rest — what's left
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. tear — from crying
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — a break
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bass — low music
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. tear — to rip
  18. game — a match
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. toast — bread
  22. rash — a series
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. tear — from crying

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