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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. land — a country
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. fall — the season
  9. mark — a trace
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — a lid
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — to come down
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. land — ground
  23. cap — a hat
  24. fall — to drop

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