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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — a grade
  3. spell — letters
  4. tear — from crying
  5. roll — a list
  6. tear — from crying
  7. present — a gift
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. tear — to rip
  10. row — a line
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lie — to recline
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — there
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. roll — a cake
  24. patient — a sick person

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