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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 116 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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — the earth
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lie — to recline
  7. tear — to rip
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ground — a position
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. tear — from crying
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. drill — army training

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