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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — army training
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fine — all right
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lie — an untruth

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