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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 120 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: fall · kick · rash · wound · lean · lie · deal · object

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. kick — in football
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lean — thin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. object — an aim
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fall — the season
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — a series
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lean — to rest against

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