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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. kick — in football
  3. lean — to bend
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spring — of water
  16. fine — all right
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — a leader
  19. spring — the season
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — a penalty

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