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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 · shower · mug · firm · wake · kick · fine · last

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — final
  5. mug — a face
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mug — a cup
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — a trail
  15. firm — a company
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fine — all right
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. last — finally
  20. kick — in football
  21. firm — decided
  22. fine — high quality
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. last — to go on

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