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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. present — there
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. last — to go on
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. track — a song
  10. last — final
  11. roll — a cake
  12. last — finally
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — a gift
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — a path
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. roll — a list
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — a trace

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