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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a grade
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. march — music
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. present — the time now
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lie — to recline
  20. mark — a trace
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. march — the month

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