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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. row — to paddle
  15. track — to keep track
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. track — a path
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. face — to point toward
  22. craft — boats
  23. track — a song
  24. march — the month

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