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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. rock — music
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fall — the season
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. rock — a stone
  11. season — in sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rash — a series
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. face — to confront
  20. rash — hasty
  21. season — of the year
  22. wound — an injury
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — in music

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