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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rash — a series
  3. suit — to fit
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. suit — in cards
  9. rash — hasty
  10. march — the month
  11. suit — clothes
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — child
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — to drop
  22. march — music
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. march — the month

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