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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. race — a contest
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. race — the arms race
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. plane — a tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — for catching
  23. mark — a trace
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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