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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. present — a gift
  4. mug — a cup
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. present — the time now
  15. lie — to recline
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — help
  20. stem — to come from
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. present — there

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