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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — to recline
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — a thing
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. object — an aim
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. pop — soda
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — wild animals
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — to visit

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