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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. firm — a company
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rest — what's left
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — help
  23. mine — for digging
  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