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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hand — help
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. rock — music
  22. current — electric
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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