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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. club — for golf
  5. cap — of ice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — to recline
  10. roll — a cake
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. row — a line
  16. cap — a hat
  17. roll — a list
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cap — a lid
  23. row — to paddle
  24. dip — to dunk

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