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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. lean — thin
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. rock — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bass — low music

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