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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mark — a trace
  3. object — a thing
  4. rest — a break
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mark — a grade
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. snap — to click
  24. rash — a series

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