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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mate — a friend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mate — a partner
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. land — to come down
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — ground
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. land — a country
  21. fall — the season
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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