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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. club — a group
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lie — to recline
  12. club — for golf
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — a container
  20. rash — hasty
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fork — in a road

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