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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — to get on
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. lie — to recline
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — part of the head
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — to point toward
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. prune — to trim
  22. board — a committee
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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