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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — a company
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. firm — steady
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bat — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. firm — decided
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bore — to tire
  24. snap — to click

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