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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — tied together
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — a country
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pitch — completely
  15. land — to come down
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. hand — help

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