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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mark — a trace
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. face — to confront
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — farmland
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rock — a stone
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. face — to point toward
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rock — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wind — moving air

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