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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 120 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: rest · kick · deal · hide · face · lie · ground · pop

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rest — a break
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lie — to recline
  9. face — to confront
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pop — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — in football
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — to handle
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. pop — soda
  22. ground — a position
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. deal — a big deal

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