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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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. saw — the tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. hand — help
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — there
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a great time
  22. present — a gift
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — of ice

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