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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spell — letters
  4. last — to go on
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — of the year
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mine — for digging
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — in sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — final

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