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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — a tool
  3. march — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — a signal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mark — a trace
  17. march — the month
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. march — the month
  24. shower — rain

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