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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fine — all right
  5. board — a committee
  6. chest — of your body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — a tool
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — a measure
  15. snap — to click
  16. mark — a trace
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — bread
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. board — to get on
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. fine — a penalty

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