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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. content — happy
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. content — the amount
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rule — government
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kick — in football
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. scale — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. leaves — lets stay

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