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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mug — a face
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stem — to come from
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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