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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. capital — a city
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ball — a great time
  12. drill — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — to recline
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — money
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — music
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ball — a dance

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