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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spell — magic
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — a container
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. tube — the underground

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