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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. rash — a series
  9. mug — a face
  10. pop — to visit
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fall — the season
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — music
  22. chip — for betting
  23. shower — rain
  24. fall — to drop

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