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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. track — to keep track
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. land — ground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. chest — a box
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. land — to come down
  14. staff — a stick
  15. land — a country
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bark — of a tree

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