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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mug — a face
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. deal — to handle
  7. face — to confront
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. tear — to rip
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — to rob
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. chest — a box
  18. tear — from crying
  19. root — of a word
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chest — of your body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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