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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: kick · leaves · jam · cue · cap · wind · lie · ground

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — a position
  7. cue — for pool
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cap — a hat
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. cue — a signal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — to recline
  23. kick — in football
  24. leaves — of a tree

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