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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kick — in football
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — a cup
  6. chest — a box
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mate — a partner
  10. chest — of your body
  11. field — farmland
  12. capital — a city
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. mug — to rob
  16. lie — to recline
  17. field — a subject
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mate — to breed
  20. capital — money
  21. mug — a face
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — for sport
  24. capital — a big letter

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