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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — a thing
  12. mark — a trace
  13. current — electric
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fork — in a road
  16. object — to protest
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. object — an aim
  20. current — of water
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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