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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. track — a path
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. last — final
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. track — to keep track
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — thin
  17. track — a song
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — to go on

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