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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chest — a box
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. roll — a cake
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mine — for digging
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wind — moving air
  24. roll — a list

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