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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — for a lock
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — to handle
  11. game — a match
  12. key — the most important part
  13. perch — the fish
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fall — the season
  16. key — in music
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a kind of play

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