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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: key · mark · board · saw · cabinet · wake · rest · tear

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mark — a grade
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rest — a break
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. key — for a lock
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — to get on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a committee
  24. key — in music

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