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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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. present — a gift
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. present — there
  12. cold — an illness
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. kick — in football
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lie — to recline
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. cold — not warm
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. object — to protest

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