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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitch — completely
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. roll — a cake
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — help
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — a list
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ball — a great time
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — army training

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