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

Word bank: mark · track · nail · season · jam · bay · hand · lie

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. season — of the year
  5. lie — to recline
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. track — to keep track
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mark — a trace
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. hand — in cards
  23. track — a song
  24. mark — a grade

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