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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. ground — the earth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. scale — size or range
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — from crying
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ground — a position
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — crushed
  23. tear — from crying
  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