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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — the arms race
  6. plane — a tool
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — of ice
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — to sink
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a lid

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