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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a path
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chair — a leader
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — in biology
  22. mark — a grade
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — in a prison

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