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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mark — a grade
  5. race — the arms race
  6. snap — to click
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pop — music
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. race — a contest
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. race — humankind
  17. pop — soda
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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