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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — a contest
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. scale — in music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mark — a trace
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mate — to breed

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