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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — final
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — a committee
  13. field — for sport
  14. cap — of ice
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. field — farmland
  18. lie — to recline
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. field — a subject
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cap — a hat

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