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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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. fall — to drop
  4. firm — steady
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mark — a grade
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — to protest
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. row — a line
  16. sharp — clever
  17. firm — decided
  18. object — a thing
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. object — an aim
  22. bat — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. firm — a company

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