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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pop — soda
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. last — final
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — low music
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pop — music
  20. charge — in control
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pop — to visit
  23. charge — a price
  24. bass — the instrument

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