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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a match
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lie — to recline
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — help
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. suit — to fit

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