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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. scale — in music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — army training
  5. can — a tin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — the tool
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — a container
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. scale — size or range
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. tube — the underground
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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