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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. dip — to dunk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. dip — to sink
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. last — finally
  9. rash — hasty
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. field — for sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — to go on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. field — farmland
  18. rest — a break
  19. last — final
  20. kick — in football
  21. field — a subject
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. dip — a sauce

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