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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. shower — rain

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