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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — electric
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. game — wild animals
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fine — all right
  18. shower — to wash
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. current — of water
  22. bore — to drill
  23. game — a match
  24. lie — to recline

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