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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mug — a face
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bass — the fish
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — in a road
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bass — low music
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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