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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mate — to breed
  8. field — farmland
  9. mate — a partner
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mark — a grade
  16. kid — child
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — for digging
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — a trace
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. field — a subject

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