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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fork — in a road
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — part of the body

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