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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. face — to confront
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mate — a partner
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — to get on
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. mate — to breed
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. last — to go on

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