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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — a tin
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — size or range
  8. shower — rain
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — to be able to
  11. plane — a tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fall — the season
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. clip — to cut
  20. shower — to wash
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. firm — decided
  23. clip — a video
  24. plane — in geometry

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