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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mug — to rob
  3. face — to point toward
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pop — soda
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to confront
  12. mug — a cup
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mug — a face
  16. row — to paddle
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — to tease
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. pop — to visit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — child
  24. pop — 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