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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — a face
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — for a bird

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