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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — a grade
  5. snap — to click
  6. scale — in music
  7. land — a country
  8. current — happening now
  9. tube — the underground
  10. land — ground
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. land — to come down
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — size or range
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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