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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — to recline
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — for light
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. land — ground
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — a series
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ruler — for measuring

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