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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. charge — in control
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a music group
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — all right
  19. band — a ring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. charge — electricity

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