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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lie — to recline
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a match
  18. mark — a trace

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