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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. charge — a price
  11. lie — to recline
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. charge — in control
  17. bat — the animal
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — an aim
  24. kid — child

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