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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. chest — a box
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mark — a trace
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — to drop
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — a container
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. mark — a grade
  18. drill — a practice
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. plane — a tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — the fish

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