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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. last — final
  3. rock — a stone
  4. toast — bread
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — finally
  18. wind — moving air
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stem — to come from

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