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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — magic
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — a trace
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — bread
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. toast — the most admired

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