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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. ball — a great time
  14. saw — the tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a grade
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pit — in a race
  20. shower — to wash
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pit — a hole

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