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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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mug — to rob
  16. season — of the year
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — in sport
  24. track — a path

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