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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — all right
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fine — high quality
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lie — to recline
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. shower — rain
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bear — the animal

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