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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. snap — to click
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. last — to go on
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fine — high quality
  10. last — finally
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fine — all right
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bat — in an idiom

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