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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: row · field · net · lie · kick · fine · hide · bear

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. row — a line
  6. field — a subject
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. field — for sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — farmland
  16. net — after costs
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lie — to recline
  23. net — in sport
  24. row — to paddle

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