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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. tube — the underground
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. key — the most important part
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. tube — a container
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — on your feet

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