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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. shower — rain
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. suit — clothes
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cabinet — ministers

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