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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. rest — a break
  8. track — a song
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — a tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. season — in sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. snap — to click
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — of the year
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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