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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kid — to tease
  3. band — a ring
  4. shower — rain
  5. dip — to sink
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. band — a music group
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lie — to recline
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. dip — a sauce

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