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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. object — an aim
  5. mine — for digging
  6. object — to protest
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. date — the fruit
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. dip — to sink
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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