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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. key — in music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rash — a series
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — to fit
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. key — the most important part
  22. shower — to wash
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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