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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. tear — from crying
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. tear — to rip
  10. snap — to click
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — for digging
  14. plane — a tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mug — a cup
  18. court — of a king
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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