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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 116 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bat — the animal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — ground
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tear — to rip

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