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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rock — a stone
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kid — child
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — help
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rock — music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. prune — to trim
  18. face — to confront
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — the fruit

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