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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. content — happy
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — a leader
  18. content — the amount
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — a short time
  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