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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — a city
  13. bound — certain
  14. pop — soda
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. capital — money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the sport
  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