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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · lean · pop · squash · cabinet · deal · mug · bay

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. squash — the sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pop — music
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mug — a face
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. deal — a big deal

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