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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rest — a break
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — a match
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. file — a line of people
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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