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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pop — music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. plane — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — to come from
  7. scale — in music
  8. spring — the season
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — soda
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. spring — of water
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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