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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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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. track — a path
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — certain
  7. vault — a safe
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — a friend
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. mate — a partner
  15. track — a song
  16. bound — tied together
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mate — to breed
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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