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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — a gift
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. present — there
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. land — ground
  19. land — a country
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — the time now

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