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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — after costs
  3. plane — a tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — a trace
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. net — in sport
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mark — a grade
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bat — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — a tight spot

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