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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — high quality
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — all right
  7. cold — an illness
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. race — the arms race
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mark — a trace
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. staff — a stick
  24. foot — a measure

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