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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — a group
  4. ball — a dance
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chest — of your body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. land — ground
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — a tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. chest — of your body
  17. land — a country
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chest — a box
  20. land — to come down
  21. squash — the sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. club — for golf
  24. ball — a round shape

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