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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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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. suit — to fit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — clothes
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chest — a box
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lean — to bend
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — thin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. land — to come down
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mark — to pay attention

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