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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cap — a lid
  6. field — a subject
  7. spell — letters
  8. cap — of ice
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — to go on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — magic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — final
  23. mark — a trace
  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