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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. craft — boats
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. date — the fruit
  6. track — to keep track
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mark — a grade
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. file — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. file — a document

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