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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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. mark — a grade
  4. pop — soda
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. season — of the year
  9. bulb — for light
  10. tube — a container
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hand — help
  13. pop — to visit
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pop — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lie — an untruth

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