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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 116 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mark — a trace
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cold — not warm

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