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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bound — certain
  11. spell — letters
  12. sharp — clever
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. fall — the season
  15. bound — obliged
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rush — hurry
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bound — tied together
  24. toast — bread

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