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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. root — the cause
  3. march — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a plant
  8. ground — crushed
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lie — to recline
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. march — the month
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. root — of a word
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. march — the month
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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