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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: lie · arm · patient · rash · nail · pop · mark · last

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. last — finally
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — final
  7. pop — soda
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rash — hasty
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — music
  20. last — to go on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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