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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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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: pop · toast · bay · clip · mark · mate · row · hand

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mark — a grade
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. pop — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mate — a partner
  9. clip — a video
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. row — a line
  19. clip — to cut
  20. toast — bread
  21. pop — soda
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mate — to breed

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