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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — rain
  4. capital — a city
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — a series
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rash — hasty
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. capital — money
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — for a hammer

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