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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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. rock — music
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ball — a dance
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bowl — a dish
  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