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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 116 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: lie · spell · hide · wound · last · fork · ground · kick

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. last — finally
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ground — the earth
  13. last — to go on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — a position
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. kick — in football
  21. last — final
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — to eat with

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