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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: rash · hide · kick · pop · deal · pit · face · lean

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. pop — soda
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. kick — in football
  16. pit — a hole
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to confront
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — part of the head
  22. lean — thin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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