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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. swing — in golf
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. swing — to play on
  6. swing — music
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — for dancing
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. plane — a tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. rash — hasty
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. club — a group
  19. can — a tin
  20. mark — a grade
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — out of danger

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