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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — soda
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pop — music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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