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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 120 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: hide · mark · pitcher · rush · lie · game · kick · wake

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. game — wild animals
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — to keep secret

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