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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · mate · season · lie · scale · saw · hand · mark

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — to breed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. scale — in music
  10. season — of the year
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mate — a partner
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. hand — help
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — to recline

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