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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. land — to come down
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a song
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. track — a path
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. shower — to wash
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. track — to keep track
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. shower — rain
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bay — a part of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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