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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — a gift
  3. wound — an injury
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wound — an injury
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — there
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — to recline
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. present — the time now

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