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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: fine · snap · lie · ruler · swing · kid · shower · stand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. kid — child
  6. swing — in golf
  7. snap — to click
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — to recline
  14. kid — to tease
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stand — to bear
  19. swing — music
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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