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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. march — the month
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — low music
  19. march — music
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — a tool
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mouse — the animal

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