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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.

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 · straw · scale · lie · sharp · pitcher · pound

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. scale — in music
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lie — to recline
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — a weight
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — dry grass

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