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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — in football
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. track — a path
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rash — hasty
  24. track — a song

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