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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: foot · wind · last · lie · pitcher · can · bound · kick

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — finally
  7. bound — obliged
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wind — moving air
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. last — final
  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