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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. dip — to sink
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — a line
  10. face — to point toward
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — magic
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. face — to confront
  20. row — to paddle
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lie — to recline

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