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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. band — a ring
  3. land — to come down
  4. track — to keep track
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. track — a song
  13. land — ground
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fall — the season
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. kick — in football
  24. land — a country

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