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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. drill — a practice
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mark — a grade
  7. swing — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. face — part of the head
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — to play on
  20. press — newspapers
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — hurry

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