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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. present — the time now
  4. wake — a trail
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — a tool
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — to tease
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kid — child
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lie — an untruth

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