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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bank — for money
  10. chest — a box
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — a stone
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bank — for money
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — a path
  24. bank — of a river

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