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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
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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: kick · coach · suit · land · ground · race · nail · lie

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — clothes
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. suit — in cards
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. suit — to fit
  12. land — to come down
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. ground — the earth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — in football
  20. ground — a position
  21. race — the arms race
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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