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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chest — a box
  5. fine — all right
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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