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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. track — a song
  5. track — a path
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. tube — a container
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — of ice
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chest — a box
  24. wind — moving air

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