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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — child
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — high quality
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. branch — a division
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — all right
  18. mark — a trace
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lie — to recline
  24. safe — a strongbox

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