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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. club — for golf
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bass — low music
  12. mate — a friend
  13. squash — to crush
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. file — a document
  16. snap — to click
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bass — the fish
  20. plane — a tool
  21. club — a group
  22. mate — to breed
  23. club — for dancing
  24. squash — the sport

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