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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — to confront
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cell — a phone
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. track — to keep track
  22. mark — a grade
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wake — before a funeral

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