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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rest — a break
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. net — in sport
  13. last — final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — after costs
  16. rest — what's left
  17. dip — to sink
  18. charge — a price
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — for catching
  23. charge — electricity
  24. last — finally

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