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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bore — to drill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. game — a match
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — an illness
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. rush — hurry
  23. club — for golf
  24. band — a rubber band

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