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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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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. last — final
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — to go on
  5. lie — to recline
  6. present — there
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — finally
  13. drill — army training
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — the tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. present — a gift
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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