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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. club — for golf
  15. charge — in control
  16. club — a group
  17. charge — a price
  18. lie — an untruth

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