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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to click
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mark — a grade
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mark — a trace
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. clip — for paper
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. toast — bread
  24. clip — a video

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