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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spring — the season
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — a coil
  8. march — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mark — a trace
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. march — the month
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rest — what's left
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spring — of water
  24. jam — in traffic

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