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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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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: lie · net · chair · rest · bowl · kick · fine · kid

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — high quality
  4. net — for catching
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kid — child
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. kick — in football
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. net — in sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fine — all right
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lie — to recline
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. net — after costs
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chair — a professorship

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