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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. craft — a skill
  10. key — for a lock
  11. field — for sport
  12. spell — letters
  13. field — farmland
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. key — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitch — completely
  21. field — a subject
  22. craft — boats
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — to recline

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