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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · ground · arm · lie · mug · key · sharp · kick

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mug — a cup
  11. key — for a lock
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — in music
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mug — a face
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. key — the most important part

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