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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rash — hasty
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. lie — to recline
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — to drill
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bore — to tire
  19. can — to be able to
  20. file — a tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rash — a series

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