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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pass — a permit
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — certain
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cell — in biology
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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