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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: kick · foot · coach · ground · tear · rush · lie · mouse

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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