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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a trace
  15. march — music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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