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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. key — in music
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. file — a tool
  8. fine — high quality
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — the most important part
  21. file — a document
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bark — to shout
  24. kick — in football

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