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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 124 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a music group
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — music
  14. tear — to rip
  15. band — a ring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. shower — rain
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mark — a grade
  24. rest — a break

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