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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mark — a trace
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. swing — music
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — a thrill

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