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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. spell — magic
  4. cell — a phone
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. plane — a tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. firm — a company
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. root — of a plant
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spell — a short time
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mark — a grade
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. firm — steady
  19. root — the cause
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a word
  22. cell — in biology
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. firm — decided

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