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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. swing — to play on
  7. tube — a container
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hand — help
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. swing — music
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lie — to recline

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