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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — happening now
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — in football
  13. cue — a signal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — the season
  16. current — electric
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lie — to recline
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spell — letters

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