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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — certain
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chest — of your body

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