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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a grade
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mark — a trace
  20. field — for sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. field — a subject

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