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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. land — to come down
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chest — a box
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lie — to recline

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