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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a line of people
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. file — a tool
  9. spell — magic
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to click
  12. file — a document
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — letters
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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