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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stock — shares
  10. fine — all right
  11. kick — in football
  12. present — there
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stock — goods
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. present — a gift

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