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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. face — part of the head
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. vault — a safe
  13. face — to confront
  14. kick — in football
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. hand — help
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — to fit
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rest — a break
  23. face — to point toward
  24. suit — clothes

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