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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cell — in biology
  3. scale — size or range
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — in football
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bound — certain
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. scale — in music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ruler — for measuring

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