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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: mark · lie · date · hand · bear · mate · ground · lean

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lean — thin
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — help
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ground — a position
  17. mark — a trace
  18. date — the fruit
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hand — in cards
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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