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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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. band — a rubber band
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. band — a ring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fan — to cool the air

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