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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. shower — rain
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. file — a tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to point toward
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to click
  14. file — a document
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — to confront
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. file — a line of people
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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