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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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Word bank
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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: nail · bowl · lie · saw · date · mate · rash · kid

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. kid — to tease
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — a partner
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — child
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rash — hasty
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — a friend

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