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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mug — a face
  5. track — a song
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. track — to keep track
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mug — a cup
  12. track — a path
  13. rush — hurry
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. snap — to click
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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