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

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. hand — help
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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