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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. bass — low music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — magic
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. last — to go on
  16. spell — letters
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. last — finally
  19. plane — a tool
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. ruler — for measuring

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