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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chest — a box
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — bread
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — of your body

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