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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · pound · tear · mug · cell · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mark — a trace

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