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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rush — hurry
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — to get on
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. board — a committee
  14. game — wild animals
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — a division
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rush — to hurry

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