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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. club — for dancing
  3. scale — in music
  4. hand — help
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. face — to point toward
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. club — for golf
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. club — a group
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pop — music

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