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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. face — part of the head
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — a series
  15. cue — for pool
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — in football
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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