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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. content — happy
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lie — to recline
  14. swing — in golf
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — all right
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. content — the amount
  21. tear — to rip
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. swing — to play on

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