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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — of the year
  6. spring — of water
  7. rock — music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spring — a coil
  10. staff — a stick
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spring — the season
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. mark — a trace
  15. race — humankind
  16. season — in sport
  17. rock — a stone
  18. race — a contest
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — the arms race

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