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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. spring — a coil
  4. date — the fruit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. bass — low music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. roll — a list

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