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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lie — to recline
  12. saw — the tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. season — in sport
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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