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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · racket · lie · hand · cell · tear · fall · deal

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lie — to recline
  8. hand — in cards
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fall — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tear — to rip
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — a series

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