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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pop — soda
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pop — music
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — a cake
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. roll — a list
  23. file — a tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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