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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 · mine · game · last · bound · lie · fan · bay

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — obliged
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mark — a grade
  7. game — a match
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. last — final
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. fan — a supporter

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