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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: deal · march · mark · bat · toast · calf · lie · wound

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a grade
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — an untruth

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