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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. band — a music group
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. band — a ring
  11. court — of law
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — for sport
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kick — in football
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bowl — to roll

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