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

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — to come down
  7. deal — to handle
  8. land — ground
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — a country
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. lie — an untruth

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