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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — to tease
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. snap — to click
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. kid — child
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. face — to confront
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. temple — a place of worship

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