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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mug — a face
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mark — a trace
  8. track — a song
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. track — a path
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cold — not warm
  24. track — to keep track

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