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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. scale — in music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. deal — to handle
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kick — in football
  11. race — humankind
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — employees
  14. race — a contest
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. race — the arms race
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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