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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · straw · wound · mug · plane · track · pop · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wound — an injury
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — a grade
  5. track — a path
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pop — to visit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. track — a song
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pop — soda
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — dry grass

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