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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — a stone
  13. kid — child
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. season — of the year
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. shower — rain
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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