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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. plane — a tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pit — a hole
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — letters
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spell — magic
  21. spring — a coil
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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