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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. face — part of the head
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. squash — the sport
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. deal — to handle
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. face — to point toward
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — ground
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. kick — in football
  24. face — to confront

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