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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 116 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
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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: key · kick · ground · hide · lie · fine · mate · content

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  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. key — the most important part
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — to breed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fine — all right
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kick — in football
  18. content — happy
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. key — in music
  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