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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — to confront
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a hat
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. squash — the sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — completely
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bank — of a river
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bank — for money
  24. cue — a signal

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