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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. squash — to crush
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — to shout
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. straw — dry grass

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