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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wake — a trail
  15. content — happy
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wind — moving air
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — for a bird

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