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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — high quality
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — all right
  16. spring — of water
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mark — a trace
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cue — a hint

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