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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: lie · cue · race · march · nail · wake · roll · mark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. roll — a cake
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. cue — a signal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. roll — a list
  12. race — a contest
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. race — humankind
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cue — a hint
  18. march — music
  19. wake — a trail
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mark — a trace
  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