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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tube — a container
  3. net — after costs
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a face
  7. lie — to recline
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — a break
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — what's left
  21. kid — child
  22. mug — to rob
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a cup

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