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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bound — certain
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — a country
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wake — a trail
  13. land — to come down
  14. mark — a trace
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — ground
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. wake — before a funeral

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