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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mine — for digging
  8. face — to confront
  9. chip — for betting
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mark — a trace

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