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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pop — soda
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — help
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pop — to visit

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