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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · stick · cap · wave · straw · bark · mark · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cap — a lid
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mark — a trace
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lie — to recline
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — of the sea

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