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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — to be able to
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — all right
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pit — a hole
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — in a race
  23. can — a tin
  24. shower — rain

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