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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wake — a trail
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. root — the cause
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wound — an injury
  13. root — of a word
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — to recline
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. root — of a plant
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. lie — an untruth

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