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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rock — music
  9. march — the month
  10. ground — a position
  11. rest — a break
  12. march — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. cabinet — ministers

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