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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. capital — money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mark — a trace
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a cake
  17. season — of the year
  18. capital — a city
  19. roll — a list
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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