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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chip — for betting
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. swing — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. swing — to play on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. shower — rain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — to wash

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