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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. fork — in a road
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — child
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fall — the season
  17. ball — a dance
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cell — a phone
  24. lie — an untruth

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