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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. drill — a practice
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — letters
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stem — of a plant

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