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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.

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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: lash · content · bear · game · lie · kick · perch · board

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. content — happy
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — in football
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — to get on
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — a match
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. content — the amount

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