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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. field — farmland
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fine — high quality
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — for sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. field — a subject
  22. band — a music group
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fine — all right

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