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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stock — goods
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pop — soda
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stock — shares
  20. mate — a friend
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. current — electric
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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