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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. march — music
  4. shower — rain
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rest — what's left
  11. shower — to wash
  12. game — wild animals
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. toast — bread
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. game — a match
  23. rest — a break
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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