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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. march — music
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — to recline
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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