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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. field — farmland
  5. snap — to click
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cell — in biology
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cue — for pool
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. field — for sport
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cell — a phone
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — to keep secret

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