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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rock — a stone
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — from a university
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a trace
  12. degree — temperature
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — to recline
  17. degree — an amount
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. field — farmland
  23. fine — all right
  24. trunk — of a tree

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