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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spring — the season
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spring — of water
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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