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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.

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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — steady
  3. bass — low music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — the fish
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. key — in music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spell — letters
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. firm — a company
  17. ground — crushed
  18. band — a ring
  19. firm — decided
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — a position
  24. band — a music group

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