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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — the season
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. snap — to click
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pass — a permit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spring — of water
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. safe — a strongbox

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