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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 ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — letters
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — magic

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