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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. mug — a face
  9. band — a ring
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — to recline
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lean — thin
  18. can — a tin
  19. pit — in a race
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — rain
  23. hand — help
  24. band — a music group

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