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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kid — to tease
  10. lie — to recline
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wind — moving air
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. sharp — clever
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. firm — decided
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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