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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — a price
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — magic
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — a short time
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — letters
  18. perch — the fish
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. charge — in control
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. perch — for a bird

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