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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. game — a match
  13. spell — letters
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — magic
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. march — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wake — before a funeral

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