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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · kick · fan · lie · foot · present · cold · mouse

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — the time now
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cold — not warm
  9. kick — in football
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. present — a gift
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cold — an illness
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. present — there
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hide — animal skin

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