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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — in music
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. shower — rain
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. kick — in football
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kid — child

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