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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bound — tied together
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. capital — a city
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wake — a trail
  15. capital — money
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wind — moving air

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