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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — to recline
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — thin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ground — crushed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. ground — a position

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