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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 116 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. deal — to handle
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. game — a match
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a path
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a song
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bore — to drill
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. game — a kind of play

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