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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. safe — out of danger

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