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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. degree — temperature
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. degree — an amount
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. can — to be able to
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. pound — a weight

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