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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rash — a series
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. current — of water
  14. shower — to wash
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. shower — rain
  19. current — happening now
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — hasty
  22. kick — in football
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. spell — magic

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