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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bat — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rash — a series
  17. dip — to sink
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. file — a tool

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