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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bass — low music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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