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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — to drill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. shower — rain
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. land — ground
  10. shower — to wash
  11. land — to come down
  12. roll — a list
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pop — music
  18. roll — a cake
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — a trail
  21. land — a country
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pop — soda

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