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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. suit — clothes
  4. tear — to rip
  5. suit — in cards
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mark — a trace
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — happy
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bound — certain
  23. chair — a leader
  24. content — the amount

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