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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. firm — steady
  6. lean — thin
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — a country
  9. lean — to bend
  10. land — to come down
  11. wound — an injury
  12. firm — a company
  13. land — ground
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — a position
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kick — in football
  18. firm — decided
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — a break
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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