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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fall — the season
  7. ball — a dance
  8. sharp — clever
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — hurry
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a round shape

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