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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 124 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — to protest
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. hand — in cards
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. scale — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — of the year
  20. fine — high quality
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — an aim
  24. season — to add flavour

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