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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. pop — music
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. spring — of water
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — a practice
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lean — to bend
  12. firm — a company
  13. pop — to visit
  14. firm — steady
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — soda

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