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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — a country
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. land — ground
  14. pop — soda
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pop — music
  18. land — to come down
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — clever

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