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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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Word bank
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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. drill — army training
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lie — an untruth

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