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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — in football
  3. current — of water
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — a series
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. object — a thing
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — size or range
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mug — to rob
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lie — to recline
  19. scale — in music
  20. current — happening now
  21. mug — a face
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mug — a cup

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