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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. drill — the tool
  3. roll — a list
  4. spell — magic
  5. roll — a cake
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — army training
  15. plane — a tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. season — of the year
  21. lie — to recline
  22. spell — letters
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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