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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lie — to recline
  5. field — a subject
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. tear — from crying
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. foot — a measure
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. field — farmland

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