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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. last — finally
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. mug — a face
  14. last — to go on
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mug — to rob
  18. suit — to fit
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stock — goods
  22. last — final
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — in cards

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