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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — a lid
  7. shower — rain
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mark — a trace
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bark — to shout
  18. can — a tin
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. drill — army training
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cap — of ice

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