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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. mug — a cup
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ball — a great time
  15. snap — to click
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. plane — a tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. march — the month
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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