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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — happening now
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. key — for a lock
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. key — in music
  9. current — of water
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. key — the most important part
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. game — a match
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kick — in football
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lean — to bend

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