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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tear — to rip
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. chest — a box
  13. row — to paddle
  14. tear — from crying
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — to get on
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. row — a line
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chest — of your body
  24. jam — a tight spot

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