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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — to visit
  3. hand — help
  4. rest — a break
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pit — in a race
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. scale — in music
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pop — music
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — soda
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — part of the body

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