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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kid — child
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — the season
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. face — part of the head
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mark — a grade

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