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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 116 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. shower — rain
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. dip — to dunk

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