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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. track — a path
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chest — a box
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pass — a permit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. track — a song
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — to keep track
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — an explosive

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