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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mark — a grade
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. spell — magic
  10. pop — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pop — soda
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — music
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mug — a face

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