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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. season — of the year
  7. cell — in biology
  8. staff — employees
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cell — a phone
  17. season — in sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. calf — a young animal

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