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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pop — music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pop — soda
  8. rash — a series
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — certain
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spell — magic
  16. bound — tied together
  17. dip — to sink
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. track — a path
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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