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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. last — to go on
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. last — finally
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mug — a face
  10. pass — a permit
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. last — final

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