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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. cue — for pool
  12. kick — in football
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fall — to drop
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. deal — an agreement

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