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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. club — for dancing
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. root — of a plant
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — the cause
  11. snap — to click
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — for golf
  19. root — of a word
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. board — a committee
  24. lie — to recline

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