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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tear — from crying
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. scale — in music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. last — final
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. present — a gift
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — an untruth

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