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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 is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a song
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. track — to keep track
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. cold — not warm
  10. firm — a company
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. track — a path
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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