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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. suit — clothes
  3. field — a subject
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. face — to confront
  6. craft — boats
  7. field — farmland
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a skill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lie — to recline
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — for sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — to dunk

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