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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. last — final
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — a price
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — to fit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — a grade
  11. suit — in cards
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — clothes
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — to go on
  17. dip — to sink
  18. perch — the fish
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. last — finally
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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