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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lean — thin
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. can — to be able to
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — to bend
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — help
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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