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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. roll — a list
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — to sink
  7. object — a thing
  8. spell — a short time
  9. chest — of your body
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. spell — letters
  16. bat — the animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — in music
  19. chest — a box
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lie — to recline
  22. object — to protest
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. roll — a cake

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