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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cap — a lid
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a music group
  7. last — finally
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — part of the head
  13. last — to go on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. face — to confront
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — final
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — clever
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. sharp — with an edge

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