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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. file — a tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a document
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to drill
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bore — to tire
  24. kick — with a leg

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