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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pop — soda
  3. plane — a tool
  4. march — the month
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — music
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. object — a thing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ball — a great time
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — music

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