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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — army training
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — to confront
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. foot — a measure
  16. face — to point toward
  17. drill — a practice
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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