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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — a gift
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fine — all right
  17. ball — a dance
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fine — high quality
  20. staff — employees
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kid — to tease
  23. present — there
  24. hide — to keep secret

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