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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cue — for pool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mark — a trace
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rock — music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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