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

Word bank: mark · leaves · wound · rest · bay · field · ruler · dip

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. field — farmland
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. field — for sport
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rest — a break
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — an injury
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. field — a subject
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wound — an injury

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