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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. track — a path
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. track — a song
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bark — to shout
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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