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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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Word bank
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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: kick · swing · foot · lie · wave · race

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. foot — a measure
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — music
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. swing — to play on
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. race — a contest
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. swing — in golf
  18. foot — part of the body

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