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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a line
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bass — the fish
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. row — to paddle
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ground — crushed
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. squash — the sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ground — a position
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bass — low music
  22. kick — in football
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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