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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wake — a trail
  7. firm — steady
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. firm — a company
  11. bore — to tire
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a match
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. game — wild animals
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. firm — decided
  24. foot — the bottom

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