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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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. club — a group
  7. lie — to recline
  8. club — for dancing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. shower — rain
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — a hat
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for golf
  18. hand — help
  19. cap — a lid
  20. can — a tin
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. cap — of ice
  24. can — a tin

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