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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fork — in a road
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — a trail
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — clothes
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. suit — to fit
  22. scale — size or range
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. stem — a stem cell

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