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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. shower — rain
  3. court — of law
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mark — a trace
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. wake — a trail
  16. court — of a king
  17. mark — a grade
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. court — for sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. shower — to wash

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