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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. object — to protest
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bulb — for light
  11. scale — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. rash — hasty
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rash — a series

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