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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — what's left
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — a path
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — certain
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — a break
  19. bank — for money
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — a face
  22. rash — a series
  23. track — a song
  24. mug — a cup

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