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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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Word bank
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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spell — magic
  3. current — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kick — in football
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. spell — letters
  16. current — electric
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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