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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — in football
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — obliged
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bound — tied together
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. spell — magic
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. march — the month
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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