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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lean — thin
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lean — to bend
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. drill — army training
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mark — a grade
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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