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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kid — child
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bore — to tire
  9. dip — to sink
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a tool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. squash — the sport
  17. lie — to recline
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a document
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. lean — thin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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