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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cell — a phone
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — hurry
  21. cell — in biology
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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