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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. staff — a stick
  6. key — in music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — in football
  21. key — the most important part
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kick — with a leg

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