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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. rule — to rule out
  3. shower — to wash
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — for sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. rule — government
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. shower — rain
  23. spell — magic
  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