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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mark — a grade
  10. last — final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. last — to go on
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. rest — what's left
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mark — a trace

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