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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — a gift
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. root — of a word
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. present — the time now
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. staff — employees
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. bat — the animal
  22. present — there
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — a straw man

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