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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 120 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mug — a face
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pop — soda
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fall — the season
  13. hand — help
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — a cup
  17. pop — music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. swing — music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mug — to rob
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hand — in cards

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