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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — a cup
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mug — to rob
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. toast — bread
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. cold — an illness
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mug — a face
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. lie — to recline

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