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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. object — an aim
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. face — to confront
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. object — to protest
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — music
  24. prune — to trim

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