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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.

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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — finally
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rush — hurry
  15. last — final
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — to go on
  20. hand — help
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bass — low music

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