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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cap — a lid
  7. swing — to play on
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cap — a hat
  15. swing — music
  16. lean — to bend
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — of ice

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