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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rash — hasty
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pound — a weight
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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