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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — child
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — in sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kid — to tease
  22. can — a tin
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — from crying

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