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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pop — soda
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. pop — music
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — low music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bass — the fish

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