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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. saw — the tool
  13. march — the month
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — in music
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mate — a partner
  20. march — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. hand — in cards
  24. scale — size or range

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