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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — help
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a tool
  7. hand — in cards
  8. file — a document
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — to recline
  13. shower — rain
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. lean — thin
  16. roll — a list
  17. file — a line of people
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stand — to bear
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — to wash
  24. stand — on your feet

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