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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. file — a line of people
  3. branch — a division
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. march — the month
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — to recline
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. present — there
  14. file — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. march — music
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. present — a gift
  23. mark — a grade
  24. present — the time now

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