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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. rush — hurry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tear — from crying
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — to rip
  24. staff — employees

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