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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — a grade
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fall — the season
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mark — a trace
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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