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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. game — a match
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. sharp — clever
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fall — to drop
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. capital — money
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — the season
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — wild animals
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — a trace

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