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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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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: last · net · lie · stick · bay · spell · kick · fall

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. last — finally
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — after costs
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lie — to recline
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kick — in football
  22. spell — a short time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fall — the season

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