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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ground — a position
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cue — for pool
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — a trace
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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