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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kid — child
  11. row — to paddle
  12. swing — to play on
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. kid — to tease
  15. row — a line
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — music
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. swing — in golf
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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