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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. net — in sport
  7. track — a path
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — for catching
  16. sharp — clever
  17. track — to keep track
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hand — in cards
  21. fall — the season
  22. track — a song
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fall — to drop

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