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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — a tool
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cue — a hint
  18. row — to paddle
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — music
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spell — letters
  24. shower — to wash

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