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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — part of the head
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bear — the animal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lie — to recline
  24. face — to confront

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