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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. present — a gift
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. plane — a tool
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. firm — decided
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. present — there
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the fish

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