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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — a thing
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tear — to rip
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. object — an aim
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. lie — to recline
  16. object — to protest
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. ball — a dance
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. file — a document

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