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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 124 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. can — a tin
  5. fine — all right
  6. last — to go on
  7. land — to come down
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. can — to be able to
  12. last — final
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fine — high quality
  15. snap — to click
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. land — ground
  18. last — finally
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. land — a country
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. plane — a tool

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