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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · lie · kick · tear · stand · toast

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — to rip
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. toast — bread
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tear — from crying
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — to bear

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