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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. kick — in football
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wound — an injury
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pit — a hole
  17. track — a path
  18. content — happy
  19. track — a song
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rush — to hurry

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