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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. rest — what's left
  3. ground — the earth
  4. band — a ring
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. staff — employees
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rest — what's left
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ground — a position
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rest — a break
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ground — crushed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  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