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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. field — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. field — farmland
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. field — a subject
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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