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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — to recline
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. roll — a cake
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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