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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a grade
  4. track — a path
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. cap — of ice
  7. track — a song
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rule — government
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rule — a law
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rash — on the skin

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