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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spell — magic
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mug — to rob
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — letters
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. spell — a short time
  23. deal — to handle
  24. calf — a young animal

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