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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rock — a stone
  3. face — to confront
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. track — to keep track
  11. file — a tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. track — a song
  15. deal — to handle
  16. face — to point toward
  17. file — a document
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a line of people
  21. sharp — clever
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. rock — music
  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