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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. track — a path
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — to confront
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — to rip
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. rest — a break
  24. bear — to put up with

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