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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mate — a friend
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. last — final
  15. kick — in football
  16. last — to go on
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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