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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — soda
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. object — an aim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mug — to rob
  16. kid — child
  17. pop — music
  18. object — to protest
  19. root — of a word
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a face
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — the cause
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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