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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 124 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kid — child
  11. spell — letters
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rest — a break
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — help
  24. can — a tin

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