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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — to bear
  4. file — a line of people
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pop — soda
  12. file — a document
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bore — to tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to drill
  20. spring — the season
  21. pop — to visit
  22. file — a tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. spring — of water

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