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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. rule — government
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — of the year
  23. rule — a law
  24. deal — a big deal

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