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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: present · jam · mark · wind · wake · spell · foot · kid

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kid — child
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. spell — letters
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — to tease
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. spell — a short time
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — a measure
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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