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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. lie — to recline
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ball — a great time
  6. dip — to sink
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fork — in a road
  10. charge — a price
  11. toast — bread
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mug — to rob
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. charge — in control
  20. mug — a cup
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mug — a face
  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