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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cue — for pool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fall — the season
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. track — to keep track
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cold — an illness
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stand — to bear
  22. track — a song
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — not warm

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