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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 116 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. firm — decided
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kid — child
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. kid — to tease
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. game — wild animals
  23. firm — steady
  24. mine — for digging

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