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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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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kid — child
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lie — to recline
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fall — the season
  11. fall — to drop
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. face — to confront
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. face — to point toward
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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