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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — to rip
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — the fish
  7. tear — from crying
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. drill — army training
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tear — from crying
  18. suit — in cards
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mine — belonging to me

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