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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a line
  6. track — a path
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. track — a song
  14. bound — obliged
  15. row — to paddle
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bound — certain
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. ball — a round shape

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