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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. season — in sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bat — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. tear — to rip
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — of the year
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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