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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lie — to recline
  8. file — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to click
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — a break
  19. shower — rain
  20. mug — a face
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a document
  23. shower — to wash
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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