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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. court — of a king
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tear — from crying
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. court — for sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. court — of law
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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