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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.

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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: spell · kick · lie · rest · lean · dip · shower · pitch

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — a break
  4. lie — to recline
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — what's left
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — a short time
  12. shower — rain
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. kick — in football
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lean — thin
  19. spell — letters
  20. lean — to bend
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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