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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — obliged
  5. spring — of water
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. current — electric
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — final
  11. plane — a tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bound — tied together
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — a committee
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — the season

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