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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mine — for digging
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — certain
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. kid — child
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pound — a weight
  24. mine — belonging to me

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