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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rash — a series
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. object — a thing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. fall — to drop
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — of the year
  20. fall — the season
  21. object — an aim
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — in sport
  24. rash — hasty

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