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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — an injury
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — certain
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. ball — a dance
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bound — obliged
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — a path
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lie — to recline

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