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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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 — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — in cards
  12. can — a tin
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bat — for baseball
  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