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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kick — in football
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — a position
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bass — the fish

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