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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. file — a document
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. deal — to handle
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — the fish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — government
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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