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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a grade
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. band — a ring
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — a song
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. vault — a safe
  12. sharp — clever
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — a break
  15. band — a music group
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rest — what's left
  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