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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. scale — in music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — to handle
  15. shower — rain
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — to recline
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — in football

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