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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. foot — a measure
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tube — a container
  7. rest — a break
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. trunk — of a tree

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