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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — letters
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spell — magic
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. tube — the underground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. bat — the animal

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