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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — in music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tear — to rip
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. tear — from crying
  18. game — a match

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