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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · kick · lie · face · object · fine · date · mouse

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. object — to protest
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — to confront
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. kick — in football
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. date — the fruit

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