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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. face — to point toward
  11. hand — help
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rush — hurry
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. face — to confront

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