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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chest — a box
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. file — a document
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — of your 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