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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — a line
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. foot — a measure
  7. row — to paddle
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mark — a trace
  11. wax — to grow
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — to bear
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stem — to come from
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — to pay attention

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