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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bass — the fish
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — low music
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. lie — to recline
  23. mark — a grade
  24. leaves — 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