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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: tear · mark · foot · saw · pit · last · game · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — to go on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. last — final
  17. last — finally
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — the tool
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — a match
  24. tear — to rip

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