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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ground — a position
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — rain
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chest — a box
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chest — of your body
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — exactly

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