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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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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fall — the season
  4. ground — crushed
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bear — the animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mark — a grade
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. can — a tin
  24. hand — help

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