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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. staff — employees
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. scale — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — child
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wound — an injury
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — a stone
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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