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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rest — a break
  3. land — to come down
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mark — a trace

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