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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · fan · mine · scale · cap · cell · sharp · bore

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — a trace
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mine — for digging
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — clever

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