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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mark — a trace
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bank — for money
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bank — for money
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ground — the earth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. field — farmland
  19. ground — a position
  20. field — for sport
  21. game — a match
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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