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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 120 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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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. hand — help
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. track — a path
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kid — child
  18. track — to keep track
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  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