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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bat — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — a hole
  8. tube — a container
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — to fit
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — army training
  24. mark — a grade

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