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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. track — a song
  8. object — an aim
  9. hand — in cards
  10. object — to protest
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — to recline
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. kick — in football
  18. track — a path
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. object — a thing
  24. craft — a skill

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