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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — of water
  7. key — in music
  8. current — happening now
  9. bass — low music
  10. pop — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bass — the fish
  14. current — electric
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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