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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. capital — money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. drill — a practice
  12. swing — music
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. capital — a city
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. drill — army training
  24. face — to confront

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