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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — a country
  7. roll — a cake
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. roll — a list
  19. rock — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rash — hasty
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — to pay attention

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