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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fine — high quality
  3. kick — in football
  4. roll — a list
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bass — low music
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fine — all right
  18. ground — crushed
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bass — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — a position

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