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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cue — a hint
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cap — a lid
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pop — soda
  12. can — a tin
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — a signal
  15. roll — a list
  16. can — to be able to
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. roll — a cake
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — final

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