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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — thin
  4. pop — soda
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kick — in football
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — a trail
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. pop — music
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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