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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — an injury
  8. march — music
  9. rest — a break
  10. pop — to visit
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. march — the month
  18. band — a ring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. band — a music group
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pop — music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wound — an injury

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