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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — for dancing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. last — finally
  11. fine — high quality
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — final
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — to go on
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. fine — all right
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — to recline
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. lie — an untruth

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