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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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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: calf · face · lie · chest · racket · mug · kick · court

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — to rob
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — part of the head
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. court — for sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — of law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. face — to confront
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. court — of a king
  18. chest — a box
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mug — a face

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