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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 116 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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — part of the head
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pop — soda

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