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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. land — a country
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. land — ground
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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