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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — magic
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. season — of the year
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — a short time
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. kid — child
  23. season — in sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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