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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. game — wild animals
  12. saw — the tool
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rest — a break
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — a tool
  23. present — the time now
  24. game — a kind of play

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