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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — in football
  11. wound — an injury
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rash — a series
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mark — a trace
  24. fan — a supporter

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