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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rest — a break
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to confront
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — in football
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — happening now
  24. face — to point toward

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