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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. track — a song
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a path
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — to keep track
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — help
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fine — all right
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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