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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — for pool
  7. can — a tin
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — a break
  12. net — for catching
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — the earth
  16. net — in sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — thin

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