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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. key — in music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kick — in football
  21. chest — a box
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. key — for a lock

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