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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mate — to breed
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rule — government
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — a law
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mate — a friend

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