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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. row — a line
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pitch — completely
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bass — the fish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. can — a tin
  15. bass — low music
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. squash — to crush
  19. can — to be able to
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. row — to paddle

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