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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — the season
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cold — not warm
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. drill — army training
  8. suit — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. suit — to fit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. drill — a practice
  15. suit — clothes
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cold — an illness
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spring — of water
  24. mark — a trace

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