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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ground — a position
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stock — goods
  23. bass — the fish
  24. tube — the underground

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