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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mark — a grade
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. snap — to click
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kid — child
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. kid — to tease
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — a law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. mug — to rob

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