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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spring — a coil
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — of water
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — the season
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a city
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mate — to breed

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