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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. roll — a list
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. roll — a cake
  11. hand — in cards
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. present — a gift
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pop — music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — there
  22. hand — help
  23. present — the time now
  24. temple — a place of worship

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