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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — a permit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. snap — to click
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bank — of a river
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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