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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — to visit
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bark — to shout
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pound — a weight
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. spell — letters
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. deal — to handle

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