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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — the season
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kid — to tease

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