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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. game — a match
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. foot — a measure
  10. plane — a tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — wild animals
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rule — government
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — a law
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — child

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