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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. last — final
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. last — finally
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ball — a dance
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spell — letters
  22. bass — the fish
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spell — a short time

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