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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mate — to breed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. mate — a friend
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — a practice
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. lie — to recline
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mate — a partner

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