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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. current — electric
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cold — not warm
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cold — an illness
  12. current — happening now
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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