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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. march — the month
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — rain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — the animal

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