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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — music
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — the season
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chip — for betting
  13. roll — a list
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mark — a trace
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fall — to drop
  20. march — the month
  21. roll — a cake
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — in a computer
  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