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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fine — all right
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — in sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — music
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — a trace
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. scale — in music
  21. snap — to click
  22. rock — a stone
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. scale — for weighing

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