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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.

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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: ball · kick · safe · pit · club · face · lie · row

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. face — to confront
  5. club — for dancing
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ball — a great time
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. row — a line
  16. face — to point toward
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — in football
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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