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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — a break
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rash — hasty
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pass — a permit
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bowl — to roll

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