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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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468
Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bore — to drill
  4. ground — crushed
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — in football
  7. lie — to recline
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — an untruth

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