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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. last — finally
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ball — a great time
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. last — to go on
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — an injury
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — final

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