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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — the season
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — of water
  15. bore — to tire
  16. stand — to bear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — to bend
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. scale — in music

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