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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pop — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — for sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. court — of a king
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. game — a match
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — of law
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. face — to point toward

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