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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. march — the month
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — music
  12. game — a match
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lie — to recline
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kick — in football
  23. bear — to put up with
  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