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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — the time now
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rash — hasty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. present — a gift
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — a series
  15. hand — help
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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