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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. sharp — clever
  3. file — a tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. saw — the tool
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — music
  10. file — a document
  11. club — for golf
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — the animal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bear — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. season — of the year
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rock — a stone
  23. file — a line of people
  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