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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — in football
  5. swing — to play on
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mark — a grade
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — a subject
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. swing — music
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. field — for sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. field — farmland
  24. hide — animal skin

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