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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. mark — a trace
  3. drill — the tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — to rob
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — clever
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mug — a cup
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wind — moving air
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wind — moving air
  23. snap — to click
  24. mug — a face

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