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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · field · arm · snap · perch · spring

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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 grade
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. field — a subject
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. ball — a dance
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — of water
  14. field — farmland
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — a trace
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to click
  23. spring — the season
  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