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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fork — in a road
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. shower — to wash
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — a group
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. chip — to eat
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — for golf
  24. hand — help

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