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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — to breed
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. squash — to crush
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a ring
  10. mate — a partner
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — a grade
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mate — a friend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. shower — rain

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