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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. pass — a permit
  20. scale — in music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — for baseball

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