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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 120 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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kid — child
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. snap — to click
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — obliged
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bat — for baseball

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