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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — hasty
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — to be able to
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pitch — completely
  20. tube — a container
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. sharp — exactly

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