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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — a country
  3. face — to point toward
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lie — to recline
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lean — to bend
  14. squash — the sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — to shout
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to confront
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lean — thin
  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