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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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. rash — a series
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. land — a country
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. row — to paddle
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. land — to come down
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. snap — to click
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. land — ground
  14. rash — hasty
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. sharp — clever
  23. row — a line
  24. jam — a tight spot

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