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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. race — the arms race
  4. pop — soda
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fall — the season
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bass — low music
  9. deal — to handle
  10. plane — a tool
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. race — humankind
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. race — a contest
  24. fall — to drop

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