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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. deal — to handle
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — the tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. file — a document
  20. present — the time now
  21. rock — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rock — a stone

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