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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · mark · foot · mug · lie · hand · season · spell

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. foot — a measure
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mark — a trace
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — magic
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. hand — help
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. mug — a cup
  24. arm — a part of something

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