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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pop — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — in biology
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. firm — decided
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in a prison

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