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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. race — the arms race
  4. chest — a box
  5. bark — to shout
  6. track — a path
  7. race — a contest
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. chest — of your body
  12. shower — rain
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kick — in football
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. lie — to recline
  24. race — humankind

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