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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. chest — of your body
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. saw — the tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. chest — a box
  23. stock — goods
  24. saw — the tool

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