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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. plane — a tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spell — magic
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wound — an injury
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — hurry

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