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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. land — a country
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. spell — letters
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bear — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — magic
  17. land — to come down
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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