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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cold — an illness
  5. lie — to recline
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mate — a friend
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. cold — not warm
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fork — in a road
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lie — an untruth

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