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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. root — of a word
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — in cards
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — the cause
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. root — of a plant
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — animal skin

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