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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rest — a break
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rest — what's left
  9. current — electric
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — clever
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pop — to visit
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. cell — in biology

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