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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. content — the amount
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bear — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. content — happy
  21. suit — to fit
  22. row — a line
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. kid — child

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