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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rash — a series
  3. content — the amount
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mark — a trace
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rash — hasty
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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