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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. season — of the year
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — to recline
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. shower — rain
  13. chip — for betting
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a music group
  17. present — a gift
  18. shower — to wash
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. present — there
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. present — the time now
  24. band — a ring

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