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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kid — to tease
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. sharp — clever
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — child
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — a gift
  19. fine — all right
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. present — there
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mark — a grade

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