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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — an illness
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spell — magic
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rash — hasty
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cold — not warm
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — letters
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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