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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — a song
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — a tool
  14. track — a path
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. track — to keep track
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mug — a face
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mug — a cup

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