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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — in football
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to click
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lean — thin
  23. wound — an injury
  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