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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pop — music
  9. wind — moving air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. degree — temperature
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. mark — a grade
  22. degree — from a university
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mark — to pay attention

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