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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spring — the season
  5. mark — a grade
  6. spring — a coil
  7. row — a line
  8. staff — employees
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spring — of water
  12. pit — in a race
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. staff — a stick
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pit — a hole
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. staff — employees
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. mark — a trace

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