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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ground — crushed
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — a position
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — clothes
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ground — the earth
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — a line
  20. row — to paddle
  21. craft — boats
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. craft — a skill

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