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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wind — moving air
  5. march — the month
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a song
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — to recline
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. track — a path

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