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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. last — finally
  3. game — wild animals
  4. drill — the tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. drill — army training
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. mark — a trace
  14. game — a match
  15. last — to go on
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. drill — a practice
  22. last — final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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