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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — a practice
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. land — a country
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mine — for digging
  8. drill — army training
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mark — a trace
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rest — a break
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wake — a trail
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. land — ground
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — to come down

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