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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mark — a trace
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. current — of water
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — a tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lie — to recline
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — electric
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — 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