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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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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: fork · ball · kick · kid · rest · wind · bark · lie

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wind — moving air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kid — child

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