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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — hurry
  11. ground — the earth
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bat — the animal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — a position

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