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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. season — in sport
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — to drill
  11. tube — a container
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — a position
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — the earth
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — to tire
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kid — child
  22. season — of the year
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tube — in a tire

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