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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ball — a great time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. spring — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spring — a coil

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