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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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468
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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chest — of your body
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chest — of your body
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chest — a box
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rock — music
  19. roll — a list
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — completely
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. staff — employees

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