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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pop — soda
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. pop — music
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kick — in football
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. squash — the sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — low music
  21. clip — to cut
  22. squash — to crush
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bass — the fish

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