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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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bound — certain
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  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