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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. race — a contest
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — humankind
  16. stem — to come from
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — a break

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