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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spring — the season
  20. mark — a trace
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hand — help
  24. fork — in a road

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