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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 · foot · lie · club · field · wound · pound · arm

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. club — a group
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. field — farmland
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pound — a weight
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wound — an injury
  11. club — for dancing
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. field — a subject
  18. club — for golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — for sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. arm — 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