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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bore — to tire
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. shower — to wash
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bore — to drill
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. file — a tool
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. field — a subject
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hand — help
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — farmland
  21. key — in music
  22. field — for sport
  23. shower — rain
  24. key — for a lock

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