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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — for digging
  3. present — the time now
  4. pop — music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. staff — a stick
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. present — a gift
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — a position
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. present — there
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. staff — employees
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — a thrill

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