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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. squash — the sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. file — a document
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mug — a face
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a tool
  20. bass — the fish
  21. suit — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. file — a line of people

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