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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hand — help
  6. drill — a practice
  7. content — happy
  8. hand — in cards
  9. drill — army training
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — the tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. content — the amount
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. kid — to tease
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kid — child
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — part of the body

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