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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — a hat
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. plane — a tool
  10. firm — steady
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mark — a grade
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — clever
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. march — the month

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