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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kick — in football
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pop — soda
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. pop — music
  24. lie — an untruth

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