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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. present — a gift
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. cap — a lid
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. present — there
  15. track — a song
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cap — a hat
  19. tear — to rip
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kick — a thrill

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